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Third Aussie tests positive for swine flu in London: report

A third Australian in Britain has tested positive for swine flu, but has slammed British officials for not taking her situation seriously.

Australian journalist Kate Corbett has been told she has the potentially deadly virus, ABC radio reports.

The 29-year-old earlier tested positive for Influenza A after returning from a trip to Mexico, but had to wait longer to find out if it was the H1N1 strain. British health authorities have now told her she has the virus.

"They asked me what airline I flew home with, what my flight numbers were and they're going to get in contact with all the people who sat within a metre of me," she told the radio.

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The former Australian Associated Press (AAP) journalist had travelled to Mexico for a wedding with friends, one of whom earlier tested positive for swine flu.

But Ms Corbett said British officials had not taken her case seriously when she first contacted them early last week.

"I sort of wish I was in Australia for this. It was me who had to be proactive," she told ABC.

"I had to call them in the first place. No one called me. I can understand they would have had a lot of people to call, but after a few days that I'd been in contact with the health authorities, they called me to say that my friend was at risk, and he was getting tested, and waiting for his results.

"His girlfriend told me and told me that he was infected, he definitely had the swine flu. But yet the health authorities didn't get in contact with me.

"I find that really strange because they did initially, but then I had to call them and spell out his name for the health authorities to actually take it seriously."

"I was absolutely stunned, I knew he had a flu but I thought: 'It's a just a normal flu and he'll get over it'.

"I just didn't think it would be the reality that we would actually be part of the swine flu outbreak."

Ms Corbett said her illness had not been severe and she was over the worst but was staying home.

"My doctor came over all suited up with a face mask and an apron and he tested me taking swabs from the back of my nose and back of my throat," she said.

She'd already been put on the antiviral drug Tamiflu and is confined to her home for another four days.

All three of Ms Corbett's flatmates, her boyfriend and sister have also been given Tamiflu tablets due to extended contact with her over the past week.

"My sister has some sort of fluey bug and is awaiting test results, but the rest - including my boyfriend - are not showing any symptoms and so are going on with their normal lives.''

She says the only remaining signs of the swine flu she currently has are the remnants of a slight cough.

"I'm just getting really bored being locked up in the house,'' she said.

Two other Australians in the UK were earlier confirmed as having the virus.

A 29-year-old Sydney builder, who moved to the UK from Australia less than a month ago and doesn't want to be named, has been told to stay home and avoid contact with others, ABC reports.

Earlier, fellow Sydney man Mark Robertson, 23, who is also living in London, was told he had the virus.